The Amur stonechat or Stejneger's stonechat, is a species of stonechat native to eastern Asia. It breeds in central and eastern Siberia, Japan, Korea, northeastern China, and eastern Mongolia, and migrates south to southern China and Indochina in winter.
Region
Eastern Asia
Typical Environment
Breeds across central and eastern Siberia, the Russian Far East, northeastern China, Korea, eastern Mongolia, and parts of Japan. In winter it migrates south to southern China, Taiwan, and mainland Southeast Asia including Indochina. It favors open habitats with scattered shrubs such as wet meadows, river floodplains, reedbeds, coastal grasslands, and agricultural fields. During migration and winter it readily uses rice paddies, roadside scrub, and fallow land.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called Stejneger's stonechat, this small chat perches on tall stems and fence posts, flicking its tail while scanning for prey. Males show a crisp black head with a white neck patch and rich orange breast in breeding season; females are browner and more subdued. Its sharp 'chak' call is a classic sound of open fields and reedbeds across eastern Asia.
Temperament
alert and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides
Social Behavior
Breeds in solitary pairs that defend small territories, with the male singing from prominent perches. The nest is placed low, often on or near the ground among grasses or shrubs. Outside the breeding season it may occur in loose flocks or mixed groups in open country.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
A varied, chatty song mixing whistles and scratchy phrases delivered from exposed perches. The call is a sharp 'chak' or 'tchak', often given in series when alarmed.
Plumage
Male in breeding plumage shows a black head and upperparts with a distinct white neck patch and shoulder, and a rich orange breast fading to pale belly; females are warm brown with streaked upperparts and buffy underparts with a pale throat.
Diet
Primarily hunts insects such as beetles, flies, caterpillars, and grasshoppers, along with spiders and other small invertebrates. It occasionally takes small berries and seeds, especially in autumn and winter. Prey is spotted from a perch and captured by short sallies or pounced on from the ground.
Preferred Environment
Feeds along field margins, wet meadows, reedbeds, and shrubby edges. In winter it uses rice paddies, fallow plots, and roadside scrub where perches and open ground are available.
